Chelsea face Liverpool in the Premier League on Saturday evening, but Maurizio Sarri could have a selection headache on his hands in defence.
The Blues came from behind to see off Jurgen Klopp’s men at Anfield in the League Cup on Wednesday night, but the two sides meet again this weekend in the league.
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With just two points separating them at the top of the standings, coupled with Liverpool’s perfect record on the line at Stamford Bridge, it promises to be another intriguing encounter between the two giants.
However, Sarri could have an issue in terms of injury concerns as both Antonio Rudiger and Andreas Christensen could be at risk of missing out, as per the tweet below from freelance injury analyst Ben Dinnery.
Rudiger limped out of the game at West Ham United last weekend with a groin problem, while Christensen picked his issue up on Wednesday night.
In turn, that could leave Sarri short with the possibility that David Luiz is partnered by Gary Cahill in the heart of the backline.
Another alternative could be to switch Cesar Azpilicueta into the centre and play Davide Zappacosta at right-back, and so the Italian tactician has quality and depth at his disposal.
Nevertheless, given the size of the game and the desire to get a win over their direct rivals, it will be far from ideal if Sarri doesn’t have his first-choice centre-half pairing available as Chelsea look to leapfrog the Reds with a win this weekend.
Chelsea ‘could’ be without two central defenders heading into this weekends clash with Liverpool after Andreas Christensen limped off at Anfield in the @Carabao_Cup. The Dane will be assessed ahead of the game along with defensive teammate Antonio Rudiger. #CFC ?
— Ben Dinnery (@BenDinnery) September 26, 2018